LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska state Sen. Jeremy Nordquist, D-Omaha, is fighting a state Department of Health and Human Services budget proposal that could lead to $21 million in cuts in Nebraska Medicaid benefits, including long-term care (LTC) benefits and home health care benefits.
Nebraska has allocated $631 million in general fund appropriations for Medicaid for the state fiscal year that starts in 2012 and ends in 2013, or about $2,700 for each of the 237,000 Medicaid program enrollees. State HHS officials want to reduce spending by taking steps such as limiting coverage for home health services to 240 hours per year, eliminating coverage for oral nutritional supplements, and limiting coverage for behavioral health therapy visits to 60 per year.
Nordquist has introduced a bill, L.B. 952, that would block the cuts.
Representatives from the Nebraska chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Building Bright Futures and the Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations packed about 175 Medicaid recipients and relatives of recipients into two meeting rooms at the state Capitol today to support the bill.
Nordquist said at the meeting that the cuts would weaken health services for some of Nebraska's most vulnerable residents.
"The proposed cuts are devastating to families," Nordquist said. "I don't see a budget justification for these cuts at this time."
